Combination tobacco-box.



w'. M. DOWNEY.

COMBINATION TOBACCO BOX.

APPucAHoN man fea. 21, 191s.

1,278,888. Pantedsept. 17,1918.

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' @45 "8 v 'www 7 1 l l lll 31a/vento@ WILLIAM M. '.DUWNEY, 0F LAWTOI', WEST VIRGINIA.

COMBINATION TOBACCO-Box.

i Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 1'7, 1918 Application led February 27, 1918. Serial No. 219,455.

To all whom t may concern: Y

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. DOWNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing a t Lawton, in the county of Fayette and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Tobacco-Boxes, ofv which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

Y This invention relates to an improved combination tobacco box and has for its primary object to provide a device of this character for conveniently housing a can or pouch of tobacco, a pipe, and matches, which is so constructed that access maybe readily had to any one of the several articles,

It is a more particular object of my invention to provide in a combination tobacco box, spring pressed drawers or receptacles, and a common .locking lever having means to coact with the respective drawers and retain the latter in their closed positions, the

'selected drawer being released by pressure on one end of said lever.y

It is also a further general object of my invention to provide a device as above characterized which will be neat and attractive in appearance and can be conveniently carried in the pocket.

Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the improved combination, construction and .arrangement of the several parts which will be hereinafter more fully described, subsequently claimed l and illustrated in the accompanying drawings 1n which similar' reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tobacco box constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the box;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an edge elevation of the box;

Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section Yshowing stop ymeans for the sliding box tops; and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the drawers.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 designates the body of the box, which, as herein illustrated, is of rectangular form and may be constructed of aluminum or other relatively light metal. The upper portion of this box 1s formed with a compartment indicated at 6 for the purpose of receiving tobacco, either loose or in a pouch. Below the compartment 6 the side walls of the box are connected by a horizontal partition wall 7 to divide the box into upper and lower drawer receiving compartments 8 and 9 respectively. A drawer 1() is slidable in the compartment 8y and is adapted to receive matches while a relatively deep drawer 11 is slidable in the compartment 9 and is adapted to receive a pipe. Coil springs, as shown at 12 and 1 3, engage the inner ends of these drawers and normally act to urge the same outwardly. One side wall of each drawer'is provided with a groove or channel 14 in its Outer face and also with a notch or recess 15 in spaced relation to the forward l end of this channel.

A lever 16 is engaged in a slot 17 formed in one side wall of the box body 5, said ,lever intermediate of its ends being fulcrumed upon a pin or stud 18 which is threaded or upon its inner face with the inwardly projecting lugs 20 which are adapted to engage in the grooves or channels 11 in the side walls of the respective drawers, vA spring 2l is engaged with one end of the lever 16 and urges said .lever to its normal position. When the drawers are forced inwardly to the compartments 8 and 9, the lugs or projections 9.0 on the lever engage in the notches or recesses 15 in the drawer walls and thereby liold the drawers against outward movement under the action of the springs 13. When it is desired to obtain access to the contents of either drawer, the relatively opposite end of the lever 16 is pressed inwardly, thereby rocking the lever upon the pin 18 to disengage the lug 9.0 from the side wall of the drawer so that the spring 13 may project said drawer outwardly from between the side walls of 'the box. A similar pressure upon the opposite end of the lever will then' formed on the opposite sides of the box cover 22. A stop pin is threaded in one side wall of theJ box and is adapted for en-v gagement with spaced shoulders formed on one edge of the cover 22 whereby the movement of the cover is limited. This cover is provided upon one side with a recess or depression indicated at 24 the concave surface of which is milled or roughened and upon which matches are adapted to be scratched.

The cover 22 is longitudinally bored at one end, and |this bore is threaded at its open end to receive the threaded section of a cylindrical shank 25. This shank carries a single'spring held knife blade 26 which normally folds into a groove or kerf formed in the shank. The shank 25 on one end has a knurled head 27 by means of which it may be conveniently turned or rotated.

The bottom or lower end of the box body 5 is also'formed with bores or openings to receive-'the threaded plugs or shanks indicated at 28 and 29 respectively. These plugs may carry a pipe cleaner and a. linger nail file, or any other desired tools or implements.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and several advantages of the device will be apparent. A combination tobacco box such as above described affords a handy and convenient container for the tobacco, pipe and matches which can be conveniently carried in the pocket and will occupy but relatively little space. The surfaces of the box and the cover therefor can lbe ornamented or embellished as may be preferred,` while it will also be apparent that the box can be constructed in various sizes.

While I have herein shown and described the preferred construction and arrangement Y of the several parts of the device, itis manifest that the same is susceptible of considerable modifications therein, and I therefore reserve'the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embod- I ied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is: I f

l. A tobacco box having a tobacco receiving compartment in its upper end, spring' pressed drawers slidable in the box' below said compartment, and a common locking lever for said drawers pivotally mounted in one side wall of the box and having means coacting with the respective drawers to retain the latter in their closed positions.

2. A tobacco box having a tobacco receiving compartment in its upper end, spring pressed drawers slidable in the box below said compartment, and a lever itulcrumed insliding one side of the body termediate of its ends in one side wall ot the box and. having means coacting with the respective drawers to retain the latter in their closed positions.

3. A tobacco box having a tobacco receivingcompart-ment in its upper end, spring pressed drawers slidablein the box below said compartment, a lever fulcrumed intermediateof its ends in one side wall of the box and having means coacting with Vthe respectivev drawers to ret-ain the latter in their closed positions, anda spring acting against one end of said lever to yieldingly urge said lever to its effective 'locking position.

4. A tobacco box having a tobacco receiving compartment in the upper endthereof, spring pressed drawers slidably mounted in the box below said compartment and each having a recess in one of its side walls, a lever fulcrumed intermediate of its ends in one side wall of the box, said lever being provided with spaced lugs thereon to engagein the respective recesses, anda spring coacting with said lever to yieldingly hold the same against pivotal movement and retain the drawers in their closed positions, either of said drawers being releasable by pressure upon one end ot the lever.

5. VA tobacco box having a tobacco receiving compartment in the upper end thereot,

spring pressed drawers slidably mounted in the box below said compartment and each having a recess in one of its side walls, a lever tul-crumed intermediate of its ends in one side wall of the box, said lever being provided with spaced lugs thereon to engage in the respective recesses, said lever being Hush with the side face of the box wall, and a. spring acting against one end of said lever to yieldingly hold the lever in its normal position and retain the drawers in their closed positions.

6. A device of the character described including a body, drawers slidably mounted in the body, and a lever pivotally mounted in and constituting a common holding means for 'the drawers toretain Athe latter in their closed positions, said lever being operable to independently release the drawers. f

7. A device of the character described including a body, a plurality of drawers slidably mounted in said body, and a common locking element tor said drawers movable in one direction to release one drawer and movable in the opposite direction to release another drawer.

In testimony whereot` I hereunto atlix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

w. M. Downer.

Witnesses I. C. LIGHTNER, A.VD. LAw'r'oN. 

